


The Loyalty of Ravens

by Fraulein



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-08-07 11:17:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16407476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fraulein/pseuds/Fraulein
Summary: Are ravens good or bad omens?  Two seemed to have adopted Darcy.





	The Loyalty of Ravens

**Author's Note:**

> This is for Darcyland's October Challenge. Oct 25 theme was The Omen. When I wrote this I didn't realize it was a movie title. I just wrote based on the word. So this is my take on omens and how they might impact Darcy.
> 
> Special thanks to thestancyg for the proofreading!

It started in Norway. Jane had been invited to do some research and lecture at the observatory in Tromsø and Darcy tagged along. They were unlucky or lucky, depending on how you look at it, to be there when the Battle of New York took place. While Jane bemoaned their situation and condemned SHIELD for relocating them, Darcy took a more pragmatic view and was secretly grateful they were far removed from the action. 

It was a week after the battle when Jane had settled down to actually work with the staff at the Tromsø observatory that Darcy first noticed the ravens. Every day two would alight on the fence or trees adjacent to the facility and spend the day doing nothing in particular. The birds weren’t especially noteworthy except the staff seemed to take them as some sort of sign. Interpreting their presence depended on the person.

Some of the staff joked that the birds were Huginn and Muninn, Oden’s eyes and ears on Midgard. They believed the raven’s presence was a sign that Oden himself blessed their work. That the all-father approved and that he sent his ravens to watch over them as they represented thought and memory, skills any astrophysicist would need. Others interpreted the carven birds as ill omens, harbingers of evil or bad luck. This group worriedly pointed out that the birds were associated with death and lost souls and as such their studies were condemned to fail.  


Darcy thought the ravens were merely large creepy birds and not being superstitious didn’t interpret their presence as any type of omen. They simply lurked around the observatory and would join Darcy when she ate lunch outdoors, alighting near her apparently hoping she’d share her sandwich. They cawed loudly and looked at her with their beady eyes and when she finished her meal without sharing they’d flutter away seemingly offended, to return to their posts. Eventually, Darcy began to break off bits of her sandwich and they ventured closer and closer to her each passing day. The relationship continued for a few weeks until one day Darcy sat down for lunch and a shiny chewing gum wrapper fluttered over her head to land on her lunch table. Puzzled Darcy reached to pick it up as the two ravens landed nearby with abrasive caws. 

After that, Darcy found shiny trinkets accumulating near her usual lunchtime retreat. Daily something shiny would appear. Screws, wire and tin foil were the most common, although one day Darcy arrived to find a golf ball and on another a bit of mirror. She didn’t know what to make of it until one day a member of the observatory staff joined her for lunch. Seeing the shiny clutter they claimed the ravens were bestowing upon Darcy tokens of love and admiration and that is was a good omen. They theorized jokingly that Odin had sent his ravens to watch over Darcy; who must have done something to earn the all-fathers protection. Darcy chuckled along with the staffer at his presumption but unease crept over her. It was possible Jane and Darcy had gained Odin’s attention during Thor’s visit to New Mexico. Though why the all-father would deem them worthy of protection puzzled her. She dismissed the idea and chalked up the raven’s behavior to their mischievous reputation.

It wasn’t until Darcy and Jane settled in London that she reconsidered the conversation she had with the Tromsø staffer. Within days of arriving two ravens took up residence on the roofs of nearby homes. Within a few weeks, they were alighting in the flat’s garden and occasionally perching on the garden wall, as if trying to peer through the windows. Jane called them a nonsense and paid them no mind. Darcy was hesitant to make such a declaration as shiny materials began to accumulate in the corner of the backyard. 

With Thor’s arrival, an explanation of sorts came with him. The group had retired to the flat after fighting the dark elves to find the ravens hoping up and down agitatedly cawing on the garden wall. Darcy immediately noticed their unusual behavior and went to stand by the back door to observe them. Hearing the ruckus the birds were causing Thor came to stand beside her and began to chuckle saying, “Father is anxious for news. He has sent Huginn and Muninn, shall we go out and greet them?”

Leading the way, Thor walked into the garden saying, “Come, no need for such noise. I am here and will share with you what has passed so you may take the news to all-father.” He proceeded to expound on the past few days adventures, halting briefly in mourning as he described Loki’s sacrifice, but rallying as he told of their successful battle. Once finished Thor smiled upon them and turning to Darcy asked, “They visit you often do they not?”

“Every day. How did you know?”

“Their treasures are good omens,” Thor said gesturing to the shiny trash that had accumulated in the corner of the garden. “They only share their most spectacular finds with the truest of souls. Huginn and Muninn watch over you and keep ill will from your door. The all-father must have sent them to check on you and Jane and they have chosen you as theirs. I believe you will find they will accompany you wherever you may go.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes. I am quite serious. Ravens are loyal birds. You are truly blessed.”

After Thor’s departure, Darcy began to leave sandwiches out for the ravens, who quickly came closer to the flat, at first curious and then expectant. Upon Thor’s return, he smiled at Darcy in understanding and approval upon watching her deliver her daily sandwich to the back garden. He said nothing but simply nodded at her as she blushed in embarrassment at being caught. 

As arrangements were being made for Jane and Darcy to move to New York to live and work in the Avenger’s Tower, Darcy began to worry about what would become of her feathered friends. Anxiously Darcy approached Thor and explained her concern. He smiled kindly and assured her not to fear, that the ravens would follow wherever she went and that they would find roosts in the city to watch over her. Still anxious after Thor’s reassurance Darcy retreated to the back garden on the day of their departure. She cautiously walked up to the ravens perched on the back wall and told them of her move. Darcy left them cawing after her, feeling worried and chagrined, yet satisfied she had done what she could.

A week after moving into the tower Darcy was in the common room kitchen making lunch for Jane and considering if she should bring something for Tony and Bruce when movement caught her eye. Outside on the windswept terrace perched two ravens, hopping up and down, appearing as if they were trying to peer in the window. With a pleased smile, Darcy glanced around to assure herself she was alone and then opened the door out on to the terrace. She approached the ravens hesitantly saying, “I’m glad you made it. I’ve been worried. I’m sorry there aren’t any trees or walls for you to perch on.”

The birds cawed at her, almost seeming to reassure her and settled down on the terrace railing looking around curiously. Smiling ruefully Darcy returned to the kitchen to find Bruce contemplating her and glancing out to the terrace. He looked down shyly before asking curiously, “Friends of yours?”

Darcy paused and then said cautiously, “Maybe. We used to have ravens in our back garden in London. Now there are some here, too.”  
Bruce nodded silently and quietly made some tea. Leaning back against the counter he said softly, “You know ravens are considered to be omens, whether good or bad depends on the culture.”

“When we were in Norway the staff at the observatory called the two ravens there Huginn and Muninn. They were supposed to be sent by Odin to gather news of Midgard. No one could decide if they were good or bad.”

“What do you think?”

“Me? I guess I see them as good omens. All the ravens I’ve known were friendly.”

Bruce nodded thoughtfully and returned to the labs glancing out the window as he passed.

Once the doctor was gone Darcy pulled out four more slices of bread and after liberally filling them each with meat she walked toward the terrace apprehensively. She set the sandwiches a short ways from the ravens and said, “I’ll try to bring you something every day. I hope you are ok up here.”

One of the ravens cawed at her as the other fluttered down to a sandwich and began to peck at it. Darcy backed away feeling foolish and yet settled that her friends had made it to New York concluding that their decision to join her was a good omen for her stay.


End file.
